Evolve

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a solid, if not spectacular, performance profile in Evolve. The combined system ranks 756th out of 1695 tested hardware combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. This percentile positioning suggests the pairing is well-balanced for a 2015-era title, though it does not threaten the top echelon of results. The data indicates a system that can comfortably handle the game's demands, but the margins between settings and resolutions reveal where its strengths and limitations lie.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 756 out of 1695 is a strong indicator of its mid-range standing. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the systems in the database while still trailing a significant portion. For a game released in February 2015, this pairing is far from obsolete; the data suggests it can handle Evolve with ease at most settings, but the rank also shows it is not an elite performer. The CPU, with an average benchmark score of 2305, sits at the 50th percentile among all processors, while the GPU, with an average score of 30097, is in the 73rd percentile. This asymmetry—a stronger GPU than CPU—is a critical factor in understanding the system's overall performance.

The gap between the two components is further highlighted by their nearest rivals. The i5-9400's closest competitor is the Intel Xeon E-2134, which it edges out by a mere 0.4% in average score. It also trades blows with the Intel Core i3-10305 and i3-1125G4, holding a slim 0.2% advantage over both. This tight clustering suggests the CPU is a performance bottleneck in some scenarios, as a more powerful processor would likely push the combo higher in the rankings. Conversely, the RX 7700 XT is nearly identical in score to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, with a delta of 0%, indicating the GPU is performing exactly as expected for its class. This pairing, therefore, is one where the GPU has the potential to outrun the CPU's ability to feed it data, especially at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the clear workhorse in this configuration. Its specifications are robust for a modern card, and the benchmark data reflects its ability to carry the load in Evolve. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in a 2015 title, even at 4K resolution. The card's clocks are equally impressive, with a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. These high frequencies allow for substantial compute throughput, evidenced by its 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In the context of Evolve, the GPU's role is to render the detailed monster and hunter models, as well as the dense jungle environments. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is more than capable of handling the workload, but its performance scales predictably with resolution. The card's 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects its strength, yet the measured FPS figures show that it is not invincible. The gap between the GPU's raw power and the CPU's ability to keep up becomes apparent when comparing the 1080p and 4K results. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops to 37.5 FPS, but at 1080p Low, the system achieves 211.4 FPS, suggesting the CPU is beginning to hold back the GPU from reaching even higher numbers.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, running on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, boosting up to 4.10 GHz, and it has a 9 MB shared L3 cache. These specifications place it as a solid mid-range chip from its 2018 release, but its age is showing when paired with a modern GPU like the RX 7700 XT. The CPU's benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. This places it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, which is average by today's standards.

In Evolve, the CPU is responsible for game logic, AI for the monsters, and physics calculations. The data suggests that the i5-9400 is sufficient to maintain playable frame rates, but it may struggle to feed the GPU at higher frame rates. This is evident when comparing the FPS at 1080p Low (211.4 FPS) to the GPU's potential. The CPU's 6 threads are a bottleneck for a game that can utilize more cores, but the architecture is still efficient enough for the task. The margin of 0.2% over the Core i3-10305 in synthetic benchmarks is negligible, indicating that the CPU is not a standout performer. The data implies that while the CPU does not cripple the system, it prevents the combo from achieving the very high frame rates that the GPU alone could deliver.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the system is highly capable. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 211.4 FPS, which drops to 168.8 FPS on Medium, 133.7 FPS on High, and 94.8 FPS on Ultra. This progression is logical, with each settings increase costing a significant number of frames. The 1080p Ultra result of 94.8 FPS is still perfectly playable, demonstrating that the combo has no trouble at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain strong but show the GPU's increasing workload. Low settings yield 145.2 FPS, Medium 113.3 FPS, High 90.2 FPS, and Ultra 61.8 FPS. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution is a notable 28.4 FPS drop, indicating that the Ultra preset is particularly demanding. At 4K, the system begins to struggle. Low settings produce 83.7 FPS, which is still respectable, but Medium drops to 65.5 FPS, High to 52.1 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 37.5 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that users aiming for 4K will need to make compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 94.8 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 37.5 FPS—a 60.4% reduction. This is a stark illustration of the GPU's workload increasing with pixel count. The drop is less severe at lower settings. For instance, at Low settings, the drop from 1080p (211.4 FPS) to 4K (83.7 FPS) is a 60.4% reduction as well, showing a consistent scaling factor.

This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. The CPU's influence is more pronounced at 1080p, where the frame rates are high enough that the processor's six threads may struggle to keep up with the GPU's output. The data shows that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, which is typical. The system's performance at 4K Low (83.7 FPS) is still higher than its performance at 1440p Ultra (61.8 FPS), suggesting that users on a 4K display could opt for lower settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The scaling behavior implies that the combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the CPU and GPU are more evenly matched.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Evolve with this combo?*

A: The data shows that 1440p High delivers 90.2 FPS, while 1080p Ultra delivers 94.8 FPS. Both are excellent, but 1440p High offers a higher resolution with a similar frame rate, suggesting it is the sweet spot for visual fidelity and performance.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Evolve?*

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K High, the average FPS is 52.1, which is playable but not smooth for fast-paced action. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 4K, users would need to use Low settings, which yield 83.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134. It is 0.6% slower than the Intel Core i7-8809G, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck for the CPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the opposite. At 1080p Low, the system hits 211.4 FPS, which is very high. The GPU is likely the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but at 1080p, the CPU's 6 threads may prevent the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for the textures in Evolve, even at 4K resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank in the database?

A: The combo ranks 756th out of 1695 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all systems tested. This ranking is consistent with a modern GPU paired with an older, mid-range CPU.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that the Ultra preset is too demanding for this combo at higher resolutions. At 1440p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 61.8 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom. For a smooth experience, the High preset is the optimal choice. At 1080p High, the system achieves 133.7 FPS, which is excellent, and at 1440p High, it maintains 90.2 FPS. These results show that High provides a strong balance between visual quality and performance.

For users with a 4K display, the High preset is not viable, as it only produces 52.1 FPS. In this case, the Medium preset is a better option, yielding 65.5 FPS at 4K. This is a significant improvement over High and is much closer to the 60 FPS target. The Low preset is only recommended for users seeking the absolute highest frame rates, as it provides 211.4 FPS at 1080p, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. Ultimately, the data indicates that High settings at 1080p or 1440p provide the best overall experience, balancing frame rate and graphical detail.